The St. Paul Police Department will hold a community meeting later this month to discuss and answer questions about a new draft policy providing guidelines for interactions with transgender and gender non-conforming individuals.

The meeting, scheduled for 6 to 7:30 p.m. on July 31 at the Richard Rowan Training Center located at 600 Lafayette Road North, is designed to allow members of the public to ask questions and share their feedback. Department officials will be on hand to answer questions.

Among procedures outlined in the draft policy, according to a department release:

Personnel will address individuals using preferred pronouns or adopted names expressed by the individual.

Unless there are pressing circumstances, an individual may request their preference of officer gender when it comes to searches.

Officers will not be allowed to remove appearance-related items, such as prosthetics, wigs or other cosmetic items unless they pose a safety risk or are considered evidence.

If an individual requests it, and it is possible, transgender individuals will be transported alone.

The department will provide all individuals with safe and appropriate restroom facilities, including restrooms that correspond to an individual's gender identity - regardless of the person's assigned sex at birth.

Individuals may not be stopped, detained, frisked or searched for the purpose of determining their gender, or to call attention to the person's gender expression.